On March 12, the Facades+ conference series will be held in Washington, D.C. at the Westin Downtown. Celebrating its 13th year, the event returns with an exciting day of programming that was put together in collaboration with Vaki Mawema and JJ Rivers, both principals at Gensler. Attendees should also check out our Methods + Materials gallery, which features 24 exhibiting building product companies.
Click here to find more information and register.
Redefining High Performance: Under Armour Global Headquarters
In the first session of the day, architects from Gensler will showcase the Under Armour corporate campus, which is nearing completion in Baltimore. The new building features a mass timber structure and is shaded by a large canopy constructed using ETFE and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). The use of these sustainable building technologies reflects the company’s commitment to “high performance” which extends well beyond athletic gear.
Materiality & Urban Scale: The T. Rowe Price Headquarters
Next up is a presentation of the new T. Rowe Price Headquarters, presented by KPF and Beatty Development. To integrate the new building within the industrial context of its site—Baltimore’s harbor front—the design team crafted large steel window bays that wrap the exterior of the project. In this session, the panelists will discuss material selection and detailing while also sharing takeaways from the construction phase of the project.
Capital One Hall: A Return to Marble Veneer
In the following session, Alex Terzich and Nat Madson of HGA will explore the use marble panels across the facade of Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia. Focusing on sourcing, detailing, and attachment challenges related to the use of marble, the pair will also discuss how prior examples of bowing marble on other projects informed the design of the new building.
Bio-Based Materials and Low Carbon Solutions
In a roundtable discussion, Jack Becker, principal and founder of BLDUS, Aïda Ayuk, sustainable design coordinator of EskewDumezRipple, as well as Katie MacDonald and Kyle Schumann, cofounders of After Architecture, will examine the AEC industry’s slow-moving adoption of low-carbon natural materials such as mass timber, cork, hemp, wool, and more. Each panelist approaches the topic of natural material use from a different perspective, including a mixture of academic research and commercial practice.
Natural Allusions: The Australian Embassy’s Copper Facade
In the final session of the day, presenters from KCCT, SGH, and Enclos will share the facade design of D.C.’s new Australian Embassy. Inspired by the color palette of The Outback, treated copper panels were applied to the building’s envelope. Copper also happens to be one of Australia’s major mineral exports. Panelists will describe the design process, the procurement and assembly of the building’s curtain wall, as well as challenges experienced during construction.
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